Healthy cycling begins with a bike that fits

Monday, August 16, 2004
Healthy cycling begins with a bike that fits


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Proper alignments mean fewer aches and pains

By Jason Hidalgo
Gannett News Service


Whether you're a weekend warrior or have visions of competitive grandeur,
an ill-fitting bike can set the wheels spinning for a bicycle-related
injury, the American Physical Therapy Association warns.

Ensuring that you have a bike that fits you properly goes a long way in
eliminating many of the aches and pains that can come with cycling. Here
are some basic tips when getting a new bike.

Seat

Placement of your seat is a key factor for fit that also influences how
you want to position other components such as the handlebars, said Dan
Brown of Bicycle Bananas in Reno, Nev. As such, you'll want to adjust your
seat first.

For biomechanical reasons, your seat should be high enough so your knees
are at a 9- to 13-degree angle at the bottom of your pedaling stroke, said
Kara Gallas, a Reno-based physical therapist with Biosport Mechanics. That
way, the muscles involved are most efficient when firing.

Brown said a simple way to get within that range is to place your heel on
a pedal, then pedal all the way down. Your leg should be straight with the
knee locked at the bottom of the stroke. Once you switch from your heel to
the balls of your feet, your knees should be within the proper angles.

Once you get the height right, you want to adjust your seat fore or aft to
get the proper alignment. Using the previous heel trick, pedal all the way
down again. You want your locked leg to be closely aligned to that bar
that runs vertically from the seat post all the way down to the pedal.

Another thing to consider is the type of seat. Cut-out seats are now
available that provide a nice compromise between the narrow seats that
enthusiasts prefer and the more comfortable wide seats.

Handlebars

Compared with seat placement, handlebars are more subjective, largely
determined by comfort or the type of riding that you do. When judging on
comfort, make sure you listen to your body if the same aches and pains
keep popping up.

Road bikes and mountain bikes have differences as far as handlebars, but
the same general rules apply. First, determine if you prefer to ride high
- that is, more upright - or ride low like a racer. Your riding style
determines how close or far you want the handlebar to be to you or how
short or long the bike frame should be. If you ride high, then the handle
would be closer. If you ride low, then the handle would be farther
forward.

When looking from the side, your knees should be about parallel to the
handlebars at the top part of your pedaling stroke. When looking from the
front, your hands and arms should be aligned with your shoulders and legs
to form a box. This can be a problem with some mountain bikes that have
handlebars that extend too far outward. That can be remedied by having a
bike shop cut the handlebars for you.

Clearance

When you do a full stop during a bike ride, you usually get off your seat
and stand up with the bike frame between your legs. Clearance refers to
the distance between the top horizontal bar of the bike frame and the area
between your legs.

For road bikes, you want to have a minimum clearance of 1 inch. Stops on
mountain bikes are more spontaneous and require greater clearance, perhaps
3 to 4 inches of clearance.

Pedals

Another pedaling issue is foot placement. A common mistake is pedaling
with the instep instead of the balls of the feet, which is bad form.

Toe clips and straps help by preventing your feet from going too far
forward and helping keep them in the proper position. "Clipless" systems
that work with cycling shoes tend to be more convenient.

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